Multiple-unit display cabinet with continuous coextensive illuminated sign



Dec. 31, 1963 n. MAPSON 3,115,719

MULTIPLE-UNIT DISPLAY CABINET wrm commuous COEXTENSIVE ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Dec. 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. M 501v D. L. MAPSON Dec. 31, 1963 3,115,719 MULTIPLE-UNIT DISPLAY CABINET WITH cou'rmuous COEXTENSIVE ILLUMINATED SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.-- 22, 1959 INVENTOR. MHPSON flrraENEY United States Patent 3,115,719 MULTllLE-UNIT DESPLAY CABENET WITH (IGN- TINUQUS COEXTENSIVE ILLUMINATED SIGN Donald L. Mapson, La Habra Heights, Calif, assiguor to M & 1) Store Fixtures, Inc, a corporation of California Filed Dec. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 861,282 8 Claims. (Cl. 419-139) This invention relates to store fixture-s and is particularly useful in wall shelf unit and display cabinet structures.

In a type of such structures in wide use, the main frame includes a pair of posts at opposite sides of the unit, which are mounted at their lower ends on a suitable footing and are united at their upper ends by a top pan forming a roof for the structure. Shelves are supported at their opposite ends on the posts for displaying merchandise, and it is common practice to mount an illuminated sign above the uppermost shelf to designate the category of goods displayed therebelow.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an illuminated sign assembly which may be inexpensively integrated with the structure above described and which will have a trim, neat appearance.

Another object is to provide such a sign assembly which is easy to set up and disassemble.

A further object is to provide such a sign assembly which embodies a sign in such a manner that it is securely supported against accidental displacement, but may be readily removed to give access to the lamp of the assembly or for changing the sign.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a sign assembly which is integrated with and supported on a front edge portion of the top p an of the aforesaid structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a sign assembly in which an upper sign framing element is provided by deforming the material of a front edge portion of said top pan in a manner which will reinforce and strengthen said top pan.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide such a sign assembly which is incorporated with a frame structure as aforesaid and which provides means for connecting unit structures of this type in end-to-end relation.

It is still another object of the invention to provide such a sign assembly in a display unit structure which provides means for connecting a plurality of such structures in end-to-end relation which means functions to correctly align the adjacent sign assemblies of said structures.

It is a yet further object of the invention to provide such a sign assembly in a display unit structure which assembly is open at opposite ends and is coterminal in length with said structure so that when a plurality of such structures are connected together in end-to-end relation, an unbroken illuminated sign is produced which is coextensive with the assembled multiple structure.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a multiunit display cabinet with which a preferred embodiment of the invention is incorporated, this view showing an end plate of said cabinet removed to illustrate the construction normally covered by said plate.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating details of the illuminated sign assembly of the invention.

PEG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2..

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FIG. 4 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of an upper portion of a basic structure, as aforesaid, which includes the elements comprising the present invention,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the illuminated sign assembly of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in the same plane as FIG. 3, but illustrating the manner in which the invention functions to connect and align sign assemblies of adjacent display unit structures placed in end-to-end relation.

Referring specifically to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a multi-unit display cabinet it) is here illustrated in perspective which is made up of individual units 11 placed end-to-end and bolted together. Each of the units 11 is. here shown as including an illuminated sign assembly 12 which comprises a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

"The sign assembly 12 is incorporated with a top pan 13 of this unit which comprises one of the elements of a basic frame structure 14 of said unit, an upper portion of which is shown, with the elements in exploded relation, in FIG. 4. The basic frame structure 14 includes spaced vertical side posts 15 which have suitable foo-ting members 16 at their lower ends providing support for the unit and which support a pair of back panels 17 forming a back wall for the unit, the upper panel alone being shown in FIG. 4. Front faces of the posts 15 are perforated and interlock with lugs provided on brackets 20 at the upper ends of these posts so as to support said brackets on said posts. These brackets have upwardly extending hook lugs 21 and plain lugs 22 which extend into slots 23 and 23a respectively provided along opposite end edges of top pan 13.

The top pan 13 is preferably made of a rectangular sheet of metal and forms the cover of the unit frame structure 14 Opposite end edges of top pan 13 are bent upwardly to provide stiffening flanges 24. Bolts 25 extend through aligned apertures in lugs 22 and flanges 24 and cooperate with hook lugs 21 to rigidly unite top pan 13 with brackets 20 and posts 15.

The front edge of top pan '13 is reinforced by forming an upper sign frame member 26 thereon by downwardly bending the material of the top pan. The lower edge of this member is bent rearwardly to form a trim lip 27.

Also formed in pan top '13 just inside of end reinforcing flanges 24 and just rearwardly from the upper sign frame member 26 are slots 28.

Each sign assembly .12 also includes a pair of support brackets 29 which are essentially reversed duplicates of each other, but which will be referred to individually as brackets 2% and 2% when describing the manner in which they differ. Each bracket 29 has a pair of lugs 30 bent at right angles therefrom at its upper end so that said brackets may be united with the top pan 13 by turning these brackets parallel with said top pan, inserting the lugs 30 upwardly through the slots 28 in the top pan and then swinging the brackets 29 downwardly into vertical parallel relation. As shown in FIGS. 2. and 5, the brackets 29, when so mounted on the top p an 13, extend downwardly and rearwardly and are provided at their lower ends with forward extensions '31 on which hooks 32 are provided. Below the hooks 32 the extensions 31 provide shoulders 33, the purpose of which will be made clear hereinafter.

Formed outwardly in each \O'f the brackets 29a is a centrally apertured fiusto-conical boss 34 having a reverse colnical cavity 35. Bracket 2% has a boss 36 which is like boss 3-4 excepting that in place of cavity 35, boss 36 has a centrally apertured conical stud 37 which fits cavity 35 of bracket 29a when a pair of brackets 29 are- 3 brought together as shown in FIG. 6 and united. by a bolt 38 extended through bosses 34 and 36.

Also included in the sign assembly 12 is a lower sign frame member do which preferably comprises a channel formed of sheet metal and includes a bottom web 41, a front upwardly extending flange 42 having a horizontal inturned trim lip $3, and a rear upwardly extending flange 44. Provided in opposite end portions of the rear flange 44 of member do in the planes of brackets 29 are vertical slots 45 which are just long enough to receive the hooks 32 when the member as is rocked about its axis by lifting upwardly on the flange 42. When the upper edges of slots engage forward extensions 31 of brackets 29 the member do is allowed to rotate downwardly, this bringing the portions ,of flange 44 just below slots 45 into engagement with shoulders 33 on the brackets E f and halting the downward rotation of the member 46 with the web 41 thereof in horizontal position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

When be above elements of the illuminated sign assembly 12 of the invention have been assembled as described, these constitute a holding assembly for a sign 46 which comprises a rectangular translucent element which is dimensioned so that it may be inserted rearwardly and upwardly between the sign frame members 26 and 4% so that its lower edge may swing inwardly over trim lip 43 and the sign allowed to drop downwardly into the channel of member 45 after which the upper portion of the sign 46 may be allowed to lean forwardly coming to rest against the trim lip 27 on the upper sign frame member 26 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

The sign 4-6 is preferably illuminated by an electrical system including a box 48 mounted on the lower surface of the top pan 13, this box having porcelain arms 49 between which an incandescent gas tubular lamp 5i? is mounted.

When the units 11 of the multi-unit cabinet are assembled so as to incorporate therewith an illuminated sign assembly 12 for each of the units 11, these units are secured together in end-to-end relation by various fastening means including bolts and bolts 38. The interfitting of the conical lug 3'7 with conical cavity when a pair of brackets 29a and 2% are united by a bolt 38 as shown in FIG. 6 operates to accurately align both the upper and lower sign frame members 26 and so of the two units 11 thus joined.

The exposed end of the multi-unit cabinet 10 is finished with a heavy plywood plate which is secured by various fasteners to the end of the cabinet 10 while the adjacent bracket 2% is secured to the plate 55 by a screw 51 (FIG. 3). At the other end of the cabinet, where a bracket 2% is secured to an end plate 55 by a similar screw 51, a suitable countersink (not shown) is provided in said plate 55 to receive stud 37, thus allowing the end face of boss 36 (at the base of stud 37) to rest against the inner face of the adjacent plate 55.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and readily assembled illuminated sign assembly on each of a number of individual units 11 of a multiple-unit display cabinet 10 so that no matter how many of these units are united to make up such a cabinet, a continuous illuminated sign window is produced which is coextensive in length with the multiple unit cabinet.

The ends of such a multiple unit display cabinet are then finished by the application thereto of end plates 55 and a complete product is the result. The precise character of this product results from the fact that in the present invention, opposite ends of the sign assemblies 1 2 on individual units 11 are open and the opposite end faces of each of the elements of each assembly 12 lie the respective end surfaces of the cabinet unit 11 of which that assembly is a part. Thus, when a number of units 11 are assembled as shown in FIG. 1 in end-to-end relation, the open ends of adjacent sign assemblies 12. fit

snugly together in abutting relation so that the respective parts of each appear in continuation of the corresponding parts of the other.

This continuity ,of the multiple sign assembly produced by the invention in the multiple unit cabinet 10 is perfected by the intcrfitting convex and concave faces provided on the brackets 2% and 2% which come together at the meeting ends of adjacent sign assemblies 112 and are united by a bolt 38. This feature of the invention brings abutting ends of upper sign frame members 26, lower sign frame members 40 and translucent signs 46 into precise alignment thus assuring a neat, finished ap peamance of unity in the multiple-unit display cabinet 10.

While only a single preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, it is to be understood that various changes might be made in this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

The claims are:

1. A sign assembly comprising: a sheet metal top pan for covering a merchandise display fixture; an upper sign frame channel formed downwardly from a front portion of said top pan and facing rearwardly; a lower sign frame channel coextensive with said upper channel, and facing upwardly; a pair of brackets provided on said top pan near its opposite ends, said brackets extending downward into engagement with said lower frame channel to support the latter in downwardly and rearwardly spaced relation with said upper channel; and a sign resting in said lower channel and inclining upwardly and forwardly to also rest against said upper channel, said top pan being provided with slots parallel with and close to end edges of said top pan just behind said upper channel and said brackets having lugs provided on upper ends thereof, said lugs being bent inwardly at a right angle with the planes of said brackets, said lugs being inserted upwardly into said slots with said brackets temporarily parallel with said top pan, after which said brackets are rotated downwardly into parallel relation and connected to said lower channel.

2. A sign assembly comprising: a sheet metal top pan for covering a merchandise display fixture; an upper sign frame channel formed downwardly from a front portion of said top pan and facing rearwardly; a lower sign frame channel coextensive with said upper channel, and facing upwardly; a pair of brackets provided-on said top pan near its opposite ends said brackets extending downward into engagement with said lower frame channel to support the latter in downwardly and rearwardly spaced relation with said upper channel; and a sign resting in said lower channel and inclining upwardly and forwardly to also rest against said upper channel, said brackets being located behind end portions of said sign and channels and extending downwardly and rearwardly from their attachment with said top pan to connect at their lower ends with said lower channel from behind the latter, said brackets thus being bid from view, said lower channel having a front flange with a horizontal lip formed rearwardly from its upper edge, and a rear flange provided with vertical slots in the planes occupied by said brackets, the latter having forwardly extending hooks which are received by said slots when said lower channel is rotated to present said slots horizontally and facing downwardly, and said lower channel is then shifted downwardly, shoulders being provided on said brackets below said hooks for engagement by said lower channel to retain the latter in level position after said channel slots receive said bracket hooks.

3. In a multiple-unit display cabinet, the combination of: a series of like display units, each of which includes a rectangular footing, posts provided on and extending upwardly from rear corners of said footing, arms mounted at corresponding levels on said posts and extending forwardly therefrom, display shelves supported on certain pairs of said arms, a top pan fixed on the uppermost pair of said arms for covering said unit, an upper sign frame member open at its ends and formed downwardly on the front edge of said pan, a lower sign frame member open at its ends, brackets hanging from said pan behind and connecting to end portions of said lower sign frame member to support the same, a translucent sign supported by said lower member and resting forwardly against said upper member, and lamp means behind said sign for illuminating the same, said upper and lower sign frame members, said sign and said top pan being coextensive in length with said unit; means aligning and securing said series of units together in aligned end-to-end abutment thereby combining said upper sign frame members, said lower sign frame members and said signs, of all said units in a continuous illuminated sign coextensive in length with said multiple-unit cabinet; and end plate means for covering the exposed ends of the endmost units of said multipleunit display cabinet, and retaining said signs assembled as aforesaid on said sign frame members.

4. A combination as in claim 3 in which said brackets are provided with aligning means in the form of interfitting surfaces which are brought into matching engagement by the aforesaid assembly of said units in abutting end-to-end relation and which automatically produce a correspondingly accurate longitudinal alignment of the longitudinal surfaces of said frame members and signs of adjacent units at the common transverse end plane in which said units abut when so assembled.

5. A combination as in claim 4 in which said interfitting surfaces on the brackets comprise concave and convex tapered surfaces; and the securing means includes fastener means uniting the brackets of abutting units to hold said units in accurate longitudinal alignment as aforesaid.

6. In a multiple-unit cabinet, the combination of: a series of units which, when assembled end to end, comprise said cabinet, each of said units having opposite end surfaces which, on contiguous ends of adjacent units, meet in abutment in a common transverse plane; a horizontal sign frame having upper and lower frame members provided on each of said units, the location of said frames on all of said units being the same; a translucent sign supported in each of said frames by the members thereof and slidable lengthwise therein, aligning means on the units at the contiguous ends thereof including inter-engaging portions for longitudinally aligning said units in endto-end abutment, said frames being open at their ends, and said frames and signs being coextensive in length with the units on which they are provided so that when said units are assembled in abutting alignment to form said cabinet, said sign frames and signs are in end-to-end abutting alignment respectively to form a continuous sign coextensive with said cabinet; and end plates fastened to the exposed ends of the endmost units in said cabinet to abut against the end surfaces of said exposed ends, thereby closing opposite ends of said continuous sign and retaining said individual signs assembled in contiguous relation with each other in said continuous sign.

7. A combination as in claim 6 in which the aligning means comprises diverse but matching concave and convex surfaces on opposite ends of each of said unit sign frames which interfit when said units are moved endwise into approximate abutment, whereby completion of said movement to bring said units into abutment brings the sign frames of said units into accurate longitudinal alignment; and fastener means for perfecting said abutment between said adjacent units and said longitudinal alignment of the sign frames of said units.

8. A combination as in claim 7 in which each cabinet unit has a top pan of sheet metal, a pair of brackets located just within the end surfaces aforesaid of said unit which brackets interlock with and depend from said top pan to points just behind said lower sign frame member where said brackets interlock with said member, and in which said matching surfaces are provided on said brackets, and said fastener means unites adjacent brackets of contiguous units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,027 Fraley Aug. 6, 1929 2,271,689 Fritz Feb. 3, 1942 2,563,746 Ressinger Aug. 7, 1951 2,821,038 Gee June 28, 1958 2,893,148 Figman July 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 397,163 France J Feb. 16, 1909 

1. A SIGN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A SHEET METAL TOP PAN FOR COVERING A MERCHANDISE DISPLAY FIXTURE; AN UPPER SIGN FRAME CHANNEL FORMED DOWNWARDLY FROM A FRONT PORTION OF SAID TOP PAN AND FACING REARWARDLY; A LOWER SIGN FRAME CHANNEL COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID UPPER CHANNEL, AND FACING UPWARDLY; A PAIR OF BRACKETS PROVIDED ON SAID TOP PAN NEAR ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID BRACKETS EXTENDING DOWNWARD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOWER FRAME CHANNEL TO SUPPORT THE LATTER IN DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY SPACED RELATION WITH SAID UPPER CHANNEL; AND A SIGN RESTING IN SAID LOWER CHANNEL AND INCLINING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY TO ALSO REST AGAINST SAID UPPER CHANNEL, SAID TOP PAN BEING PROVIDED WITH SLOTS PARALLEL WITH AND CLOSE TO END EDGES OF SAID TOP PAN JUST BEHIND SAID UPPER CHANNEL AND SAID BRACKETS HAVING LUGS PROVIDED ON UPPER ENDS THEREOF, SAID LUGS BEING BENT INWARDLY AT A RIGHT ANGLE WITH THE PLANES OF SAID BRACKETS, SAID LUGS BEING INSERTED UPWARDLY INTO SAID SLOTS WITH SAID BRACKETS TEMPORARILY PARALLEL WITH SAID TOP PAN, AFTER WHICH SAID BRACKETS ARE ROTATED DOWNWARDLY INTO PARALLEL RELATION AND CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER CHANNEL. 